Cotter's filly impresses on debut

The Irish EBF Median Sires Series Maiden, won last year by Queen Mary heroine Quick Suzy, went to Matilda Picotte (8/1) in the hands of Declan McDonogh.

The daughter of first-season sire Sioux Nation, fitted with cheekpieces, was quickly into stride and made all. She started to edge clear two furlongs out and nothing was able to challenge her as she scored by a comfortable two lengths from Comhra Woodcock Flight was a further three and a quarter lengths back in third in a well strung-out field.

It was a second juvenile winner of the season for Kieran Cotter who said: “That is a fantastic result for us — two two-year-olds, two winners first time out.

“We have always thought a lot of this filly and she will get better as the season progresses.

“Declan said she is a Stakes filly and go for the Marble Hill. We’ll dream further after that.

“She has loads of pace and she has stamina as well which is what good horses usually do.

“We would have fancied her more if it was five. It was a professional performance.”

Quotes from Alan Magee